Good day to you all. We are very quickly coming up to the New Year, and there will be many who will celebrate. There is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating, but it is how the celebrating is done, and what is being treasured in heart and mind that seems to lead to problems. The main issue is the alcohol and drugs, and that it is that it is actually these that are being celebrated not the New Year.
So to it then. What do we hold as worth of serving in our hearts and minds? Is it drugs? Alcohol? Sex?
Matthew 6:19-24 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness!
No one can serve two masters, Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
So what does this say? I seems to say much, and it does. First off, we have to look into ourselves and consider, or contemplate, to whom or what we have devoted ourselves to, what do we enjoy doing in our free time? For some it is sitting down to watch a hockey game, that would be me. For some it is hitting the local pub after work for a beer or two. For others it is getting home and then lighting up a marijuana cigarette, and still others look for some form of sexual gratification.
So what is it that we treasure? The second part to that scripture is the fact that all that we treasure, can also become addiction. This is where those thieves and vermin come into play.
There is much to lose when we devote ourselves to temporal things, such as drugs, alcohol, and lustful and sensual desires. There are many things that are destroyed when we give ourselves to serve our worldly desires.
The third part, which for me is the most important part;
"No one can serve two masters, Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
My friends, it is not possible for us to serve two masters. It is not possible to satisfy the desires of the flesh and love your family. It is not possible to love your wife while investing in pornography, or investing in extra marital affairs. It is not possible to be healthy physically or mentally, when you are slowly destroying yourself with drugs and alcohol. We cannot be devoted to the one and love the other.
I have heard so many times, of people investing in these things say that they love their wife and kids, or their husband and kids, but the sad and tragic reality is my friends, is that they love their addiction, their service to see the desires of the flesh fulfilled.
As we go out this year to celebrate the New Year, let us ponder who we serve. Let us consider what it is that we treasure the most in our lives before we decide to get behind the wheel of the car intoxicated. Let us discern between what the world says we should treasure, and what God says we must treasure.
I humbly, and respectfully ask that you make these considerations, that we think about what matters most in life, who is most important, and am I willing to risk it all to see my will be done, knowing that there are loved ones at home, and that the potential to hurt others is very real.
The Lord did everything out of love, he served in love, he spoke in love; so I appeal to each of you to keep this one thing in mind as we go out to celebrate, 1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all that you do be done in love." Please think of all those you love, and all of those who love you, serve them in love, think clearly, act responsibly, be accountable to them always.
Father God, please watch over all of us. Keep us safe, Lord. Help us to be accountable and responsible, help us to discern and consider what it is that we treasure. Father you love us all so much, help us to love the way you do, help us to see that there is more to life than the temporal celebrations of this world, that you have an eternal celebration planned for us, help us to get to the place where we desire that celebration over the celebrations of the world. In Jesus name,
Amen!
God bless you all, and may he keep you safe!
Pastor Curt
So to it then. What do we hold as worth of serving in our hearts and minds? Is it drugs? Alcohol? Sex?
Matthew 6:19-24 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness!
No one can serve two masters, Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
So what does this say? I seems to say much, and it does. First off, we have to look into ourselves and consider, or contemplate, to whom or what we have devoted ourselves to, what do we enjoy doing in our free time? For some it is sitting down to watch a hockey game, that would be me. For some it is hitting the local pub after work for a beer or two. For others it is getting home and then lighting up a marijuana cigarette, and still others look for some form of sexual gratification.
So what is it that we treasure? The second part to that scripture is the fact that all that we treasure, can also become addiction. This is where those thieves and vermin come into play.
There is much to lose when we devote ourselves to temporal things, such as drugs, alcohol, and lustful and sensual desires. There are many things that are destroyed when we give ourselves to serve our worldly desires.
- We loose ourselves, we become senseless and wreak less in our choices and how we think and feel.
- We stand to loose our lives.
- We loose our families, our spouses and our children.
- We loose our jobs.
- We loose our dignity.
- We loose hope, purpose, and meaning, we mearely exist to serve the next desire to get high.
The third part, which for me is the most important part;
"No one can serve two masters, Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
My friends, it is not possible for us to serve two masters. It is not possible to satisfy the desires of the flesh and love your family. It is not possible to love your wife while investing in pornography, or investing in extra marital affairs. It is not possible to be healthy physically or mentally, when you are slowly destroying yourself with drugs and alcohol. We cannot be devoted to the one and love the other.
I have heard so many times, of people investing in these things say that they love their wife and kids, or their husband and kids, but the sad and tragic reality is my friends, is that they love their addiction, their service to see the desires of the flesh fulfilled.
As we go out this year to celebrate the New Year, let us ponder who we serve. Let us consider what it is that we treasure the most in our lives before we decide to get behind the wheel of the car intoxicated. Let us discern between what the world says we should treasure, and what God says we must treasure.
I humbly, and respectfully ask that you make these considerations, that we think about what matters most in life, who is most important, and am I willing to risk it all to see my will be done, knowing that there are loved ones at home, and that the potential to hurt others is very real.
The Lord did everything out of love, he served in love, he spoke in love; so I appeal to each of you to keep this one thing in mind as we go out to celebrate, 1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all that you do be done in love." Please think of all those you love, and all of those who love you, serve them in love, think clearly, act responsibly, be accountable to them always.
Father God, please watch over all of us. Keep us safe, Lord. Help us to be accountable and responsible, help us to discern and consider what it is that we treasure. Father you love us all so much, help us to love the way you do, help us to see that there is more to life than the temporal celebrations of this world, that you have an eternal celebration planned for us, help us to get to the place where we desire that celebration over the celebrations of the world. In Jesus name,
Amen!
God bless you all, and may he keep you safe!
Pastor Curt
